I’m delighted to welcome Jennifer Landis back to the blog today to talk about using mindfulness to eliminate distractions. Jennifer first joined me during the Week of Well-being and Inspiration with a wonderful post about mindfulness and writing. Jennifer now writes a regular column for the blog on mindfulness and related topics. I find Jennifer’s posts fantastically helpful and I hope you will too!

How I Personally Achieve Balance

I’m sure you’ve seen the commercials that make life as a mother look like a breeze. There’s a smiling woman with perfectly coifed hair directing her children — all of whom are wearing matching clothes, none of whom are fighting with one another — into a minivan. They click into their seatbelts without mom’s help. Everyone smiles as she pulls out of the driveway, presumably taking them to a museum or library or some other place that most children would whine about.

We can only imagine this woman has everything just as perfect as her Saturday plans with her cherubic children. Her husband is happy, her career prospects are robust and she takes impeccable care of herself, too.

Of course, this is just a 30-second advertisement for laundry detergent, and in no way a reflection of anyone’s real life.

I’m not going to be the first wife, mother and career woman to tell you how hard it is to find that level of balance. The one in the commercial is unattainable: my kid chooses her outfits and barely ever matches, first and foremost. My hair is usually in a bun, and it’s a struggle to get her out the door and into the backseat of car.

But these imperfections are minor — it’s still vital for me to have an overarching sense of balance, even if we can’t all agree on a radio station as we drive to grandma’s house or the ice cream shop — sorry, my kid eats sugar, too.

Here’s how I’ve managed to find a sense of balance in a world where women are expected to do it all.

1. Meditation

I know what you’re thinking: I can’t believe this woman is starting her list with the suggestion of meditation. I was anti-meditation, too, until a year ago, when a friend of mine gave me a book she read on the subject. It changed her life, she told me over lunch. She then whipped the book out of her purse and handed it over to me, seeing through my motherly exasperation that I could use the same power she had uncovered.

I read that book through rolling eyes and decided at the end to try it just to prove it was all a bunch of hooey. It’s very hard as a wife and mom to sit alone in silence for 15 minutes, pushing thoughts of diapers and dinner plans out of your head. But, once you get used to it, starting your day with meditation can strip you of so much stress. After a few weeks, I called my friend to wave my white flag of surrender, admitting that meditation was on its way to changing my life, too.

You don’t have to read a full-length book to begin your practice, though it’s not a bad idea. Plenty of online resources provide beginner’s plans for meditating, and you only need to set aside a few minutes in the morning or evening to clear your head and reduce your stress. Once you get in the habit, it will be the best addiction you’ve ever picked up — yes, it’s even better than Netflix after the family has gone to sleep, I swear.

2. Exercise

I not only train my mind each day, but I exercise my body, too. I must admit my foray into working out started vainly: after having my daughter, my body didn’t look the same anymore. Assuming I could be like Beyoncé, Megan Fox and every other Hollywood mom who bounces back in a few weeks after giving birth, I signed up for my neighborhood gym, assuming it’d be a quick fix for me, too.

Instead, I found that exercise made me feel amazing, even if I didn’t end up with a rocking post-baby body two months after giving birth. It’s a well-documented fact that exercise boosts endorphins and makes us feel incredible. But I also enjoyed carving out time for me to achieve something of my own. As wives and moms, it’s sometimes hard to put our wants and needs on the table when we care for others, but exercise gives me a chance to focus on myself, even if only for a half an hour each day.

I promise, even if you hate the gym, finding some activity you like and dedicating even 30 minutes a day to it will make you feel much more harmonious and happy. If you choose a vigorous activity, you’ll feel healthier, too, which will make you even more balanced.

3. Prioritize

The above are more physical activities in the quest for balance. Here’s something you can do without lifting a single weight or muttering a single “ohm.” Prioritizing your schedule will make you feel so much more balanced if you do it right.

As a professional, a mother, a wife and a friend, I have a lot on my plate. But I make things easier on myself by cutting out the things that aren’t as important to me as the well-being of my loved ones or the maintenance of my career.

It’s okay to say “no” to a work happy hour or dinner date with a friend if you’re feeling overwhelmed — alternatively, it’s okay to leave work early occasionally to catch your child’s baseball game or get a pedicure with your sister who’s in town for a visit. Sometimes, you need to take a good, hard look at what’s important to you and make sure you pursue that, instead of something that causes you stress because it’s just too much. Realizing that has revolutionized my sense of balance.

4. Indulge

The above suggestions might seem a bit “blah.” But here’s a fun one: give yourself the chance to indulge now and then. Choose indulgences that you love: a glass of wine in the bathtub, a bowl of dark chocolate almonds and a Lifetime movie, a trip to the movie theater to see a raunchy comedy — whatever you like. You don’t have to live your life by the book to achieve balance. In fact, I contend a little bit of rule-breaking every now and again is the key to attaining the balance between responsibility, self-care and fun.

My methods aren’t foolproof, and I do find myself feeling a bit stressed out from time to time. But laying down the groundwork for a more balanced existence is something that has changed my life. And, by improving myself and my outlook, I’m better to those I love, which makes it even sweeter. So, what are you waiting for? Find your balance and let me know what works for you — I can always add to my regimen if you find something even better than what I already do!

We all have the same twenty-four hours in a day. Yet some of us are so much more productive than others. And some days are more productive than others.

Why?

It’s a question I often ask myself. The most logical response is: time management. Looking objectively at my own productivity (or lack thereof), I see days when I manage time well and days when distractions abound, and I fall into rabbit holes. The good news is, distractions are easy to identify—and, for the most part, avoid.

Good time management, combined with treating yourself kindly—the most important thing you can do for yourself!—can make an enormous difference in how you spend your day, perceive your work, and affect your attitude and mood.

Good time management can make an enormous difference in how you spend your dayClick To Tweet

Common-Sense Ways to Increase Productivity

Electronics

Turn off and unplug. On your time off, when you’re not facing down a deadline, answer your phone, obsess over Facebook, post away on Twitter, Google your driving questions—which, for me, might include: the start date for Kurt Sutter’s forthcoming series, Mayans MC; Lady Gaga’s work history and bio; the cost of a facelift (not that I’ve got the guts to have one); how the Zodiac killer managed to elude the police—all the truly pressing questions. Inquiring minds want to know.

When it’s time to work, if you want to get anything done, turn off the electronics.

When it’s time to work, if you want to get anything done, turn off the electronics.Click To Tweet

Email

I don’t know about you—email is my deepest rabbit hole and toughest to avoid. First, it’s easy. Or easier—than staring at a blank page, for sure. Or finding the motivation to edit a scene or chapter, yet again. Especially when I have no real direction, other than the nagging sense that, whatever it is just isn’t quite right.

Plus, let’s face it, writing is a lonely profession. Email offers a connection to the world. Even when a message isn’t exciting or particularly noteworthy even, talking to people is fun. It’s less fun, however, to watch the hands tick round the clock and realize hours have passed, while you mindlessly answered your email.

Answering mail at a set time can help. Try limiting yourself to, say, an hour a day or, if you can’t possibly miss a message, an hour twice a day, morning and night.

Focus

Easier said than done. Granted. People who set a timer and work in chunks swear it helps sustain focus. I’ve gone as far as putting a timer on my desk. Where it sits, unattended, while I do my best to ignore it and try not to feel like too big a loser.

For me, a reward for completing a task—the carrot thing—actually helps. My rewards are pretty simple: when I finish editing this page, I can read for an hour. Or, finishing this project will give me a sense of accomplishment. Sometimes I trick myself with the potential for a reward: write 1000 words, you can quit for the day. Once I have 1000 words down, or some amount of work done, the fear—the biggest reason most of us procrastinate—eases and I’m invested enough in the work that I want to keep going.

Do one chore or activity at a time.

You’re a great multi-tasker. I know. Only, sorry to say, the truth is, you’re probably not. Studies show that multitasking is inefficient and costly. According to research, reported by the American Psychological Association, our brains are not designed for multitasking. Experiments published in 2001, by Joshua Rubinstein, PhD, Jeffrey Evans, PhD, and David Meyer, PhD, show that “shifting between tasks can cost as much as 40 percent of someone’s productive time.” In situations where safety is at issue—texting and driving, for instance—multitasking can even be deadly.

You’re a great multi-tasker. I know. Only, sorry to say, the truth is, you’re probably not.Click To Tweet

Break overwhelming projects into manageable chunks.

Have you ever sat down at your computer, staring at a blank screen, wondering what the heck you were going to write, feeling completely overwhelmed, and maybe even a little scared? I certainly have. A big project, like writing a new novel, as exciting as it is, can feel crushingly frightening. What if you can’t do it? Your plot stinks and your characters refuse to come to life? What if, after spending days, weeks, months—years!—writing, the novel doesn’t pan out? What if you publish—traditionally or on your own—and readers hate your book? Critics pan it? Your own mother thinks it’s trashy or stupid?

Maybe you’ve never experienced crushing self-doubt. If not, bully for you. I mean, um, good job! You’re a better, smarter, more confident person than I am. At the start of a new project, it’s normal to be anxious and scared. In fact, some degree of anxiety is good. Our fight-or-flight mechanisms kicking into gear means the project matters to us.

To ward off the anxiety, try breaking the project into chunks. A novel consists of about 300 pages, give or take. A chapter, on the other hand, can be ten, or five, even one. A scene can be shorter. Or start with character descriptions. Learn their quirks, habits, and motivations. Reward yourself for finishing this part of the project, and move on.

Find your quiet spot.

Anxiety is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, reasons for loss of productivity. When we’re anxious, our brain shuts down. No matter how hard we try, focus eludes us.

Rather than racing headlong into your day, find your quiet place. Put on your headphones and listen to music, practice and focus on breathing, meditate—whatever it takes to help you ease comfortably into your day. I often read, particularly when I’m writing fiction. Reading reminds me how much I love books and motivates me to write.

Anxiety is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, reasons for loss of productivity.Click To Tweet

Stay hydrated and nourished.

It’s easy, especially when you’re on deadline, to forget how important it is to eat well and stay properly hydrated. If you’re like me, you don’t realize you’re hungry until you’re famished, your body drooping, your brain in a dizzy, hypoglycemic swirl. In such moments, do I reach for an apple? A banana? A hunk of cheese or slice of roast chicken? Of course not. I go for the quick fix and grab something, anything, chocolate.

The sugar in the chocolate converts rapidly to energy, and briefly I experience a high. Then boom. Post-sugar dump. A glass of wine or bag of gummy bears does the same. To avoid the hypoglycemic afternoon slump, take time for lunch. If you truly don’t have time for a break, bring healthy snacks to your desk—fruit, cut veggies, a handful of nuts.

Schedule downtime.

The biggest mistake people make with time management is forgetting to schedule in downtime. It feels good to look at your calendar with every block filled in. It’s the ultimate in productivity, isn’t it? Your week organized, every moment planned and accounted for.

Problem is, energy is not an infinite resource. Renewable, yes. Rest, relaxation, a good night’s sleep—having fun—can work like magic to restore energy and optimism. But, as Jack Torrance knew, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Change the word Jack to your brain, delete the words a and boy, and you have a truth worth recognizing.

When we don’t take time for ourselves, to rest, relax, smell the roses, exhaustion sets in and we quickly burn out.

The biggest mistake people make with time management is forgetting to schedule in downtime.Click To Tweet

Stay positive.

Of all the strategies we can use to conquer fears, be more productive, staying positive is probably the hardest. When we’re scared, tired, depressed, conjuring positivity can feel almost impossible. And telling yourself to buck up—or worse, someone else telling you to smile—never mind that it doesn’t help, at all, is counterproductive, if not downright mean. But there is a way out of the doldrums. As Aristotle said: “Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting a certain way.” In other words, fake it till you make it.

True, you can’t fake confidence. Confidence comes from hard work and achievement. You can, however, fake a smile. Your brain interprets and reacts to signals from your body. Pay attention to the way you’re sitting: sit straight; pull your shoulders back, opening your chest; relax the muscles in your face. Spread your elbows; take up space. Positive body language tells your brain you’re confident and energetic. As hokey as it may seem, projecting confidence—even to yourself—really does affect your mood.

What strategies do you use to motivate yourself and increase your productivity?

I’m pleased to welcome Patty Doma, Head of Communications at Inkitt. Inkitt aims to uncover future best sellers using predictive data. Of course, great reading matter starts with compelling writing. To that end, Patty is here to share some advice on the art and craft of writing compelling dialogue.

The Art and Craft of Writing Compelling Dialogue

Whether you’re writing to entertain and uplift, educate and evoke thinking, or help readers relax the mind and unwind—you need to be sure your work has a solid foundation. Your choice of topic, your execution, and your approach must stand out—to first draw and then captivate the attention of the reader.

It’s easy for readers to get lost in long chunks of narrative, descriptions of people or places, especially in the first few paragraphs of a novel. One way to provide insight—to show the latent insecurities behind your heroine’s effervescent façade, for example—without driving readers into a deep sleep, is to write compelling dialogue.

That said, the dialogue has to be good.

You could have the most entrancing, compellingly narrated plotline, with complex characters encapsulating all relevant societal dilemmas, but if the dialogue doesn’t deliver, readers will lose interest quicker than Rachel Watson, the protagonist in Paula Hawkins’ Girl on the Train, lost credibility.

Know your audience

As you jot down thoughts, you probably have an ideal reader in mind; writing, you’re speaking to someone. Knowing your target audience and their reading preferences is a prerequisite if you want to ensure that your work doesn’t get lost in the crowd.

Suppose, for instance, a doctor is your protagonist. If you’re writing for a general audience, you might want to steer clear of weighing your dialogue down with too much medical terminology. Just because doctor-speak worked well for House and Grey’s Anatomy doesn’t mean it will work in a book. Long scenes in Latin will quickly grow tiresome for the average reader. The same applies to slang, jargon, and euphemisms. Unless this sort of language is indicative of character, leave it out.

The purpose of dialogue is to move the story along. By allowing your audience to hear characters speak, great dialogue brings your book to life. Choosing the right dialect, or adding small quirks that show a character’s speech patterns or accent, can give your dialogue an edge. Again, tread carefully: poorly written dialect can feel grating and make you, the author, come across as insensitive, bigoted—or worse.

Make your words come alive.

The infamous struggle to create a sense of “real speech” doesn’t have to be a struggle at all: it’s just a matter of cleaning up excess conversation fillers. Sticking to shorter, punchier text will make your interchange between the characters more vivacious. For instance, in books, as in films or television shows, characters rarely say hi. Why? Because customary niceties are assumed—readers make the leap without your wasting words on boring greetings or other customary exchanges.

If, on the other hand, your character is making a point of saying hello, or greeting the caller in a particular way, for a reason—screaming into the phone after yet another anonymous call, for example—write away. But have a good reason for doing so.

Use dialogue—or silence—to express emotion.

Instead of using dialogue to convey feelings and thoughts, try expressing emotion indirectly through the character’s actions. Rather than dialogue like this, stating the obvious: “I’m so mad. I could punch you.” Try this: “Thanks,” said Jane, and, with her fist, slammed the table so hard that the entire room seemed to shake.

While the first version gets the point across, the second invites readers to draw their own conclusions, making it more thought-provoking and satisfying for the reader.

Silence is another powerful way to convey emotion. Think about what it means when someone refuses to speak or answer a question—or is so frightened or distraught that she finds herself speechless. Which packs more of an emotional punch?

This: “How do you even know about that?! I can’t believe you just went there,” said Jane, with her eyes spitting fire.

Or this: Jane looked up in disbelief, a disarray of emotions darkening her face, and continued stirring her coffee.

Your possibilities are endless. The world is your oyster. There is nothing either good or bad (thanks for that one, Shakespeare). As true as such statements may be, unless your character speaks in platitudes or clichés, try to avoid both whenever possible, as they can hurt your credibility and even undermine your authenticity.

There are infinite scenarios with endless outcomes and limitless opportunities. Use your imagination, cultivate past experiences, and mine your dreams to create scenes that evoke strong feelings in the reader—regardless of what those emotions may be: happiness, anger, confusion, disbelief. Opinions and ideas vary, so never be discouraged by how your work may be perceived. When you enter the process with an open heart, ready to put on paper scenes that your audience will find riveting, however uncomfortable or scary the process, your story is bound to be a success.

Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. (Ah, sorry, I went there again. Perhaps next time it’ll be your words I’ll quote.)

About Inkitt

Inkitt is the world’s first reader-powered book publisher with the mission to give talented writers a fair chance to succeed, offering an online community for authors and book lovers. Write captivating stories, read enchanting novels, and we’ll publish the books you love the most, based on crowd wisdom.

I’m delighted to welcome Jennifer Landis back to the blog today to talk about using mindfulness to eliminate distractions. Jennifer first joined me during the Week of Well-being and Inspiration with a wonderful post about mindfulness and writing. Jennifer now writes a monthly column for the blog on mindfulness and related topics. I find Jennifer’s posts fantastically helpful and I hope you will too!

Use Mindfulness to Eliminate Distraction this Summer

In many ways, technology has made our lives easier, but it has also added a lot of distractions, especially for writers.

As writers, it’s important to be connected to the world. While working on a piece, whether it’s an article, a book, creative nonfiction or a blog post, it’s important to have facts and answers to questions. Technology has made it easier for writers to find those facts and answers and to put us in touch with others through social media, but it can also be a time suck and distraction.

Because our thoughts and minds can be pulled in so many different directions while looking for answers, it has had an impact on our brains. This can lead to anxiety, stress, sleeping issues and depression. It can also make it hard to focus.

If you’re constantly worried about what’s going on with your friends and family on Facebook or the various other social sites, when do you worry about what you’re doing? If you spend all of your time researching aspects of what you’re writing, when do you actually write?

If you spend all of your time researching, when do you actually write?Click To Tweet

As humans, we have a lot of needs in our lives — some of them good, and some of them bad — and we have to find a balance on how to meet those needs. Being mindful is a good way to accomplish that task.

What Is Mindfulness?

Being mindful means that you are aware of what is going on around you and within you. You are cognizant of your thoughts, feelings, sensations in your body and the environment from moment to moment. If you’re mindful, you are paying attention to what currently is instead of letting your mind wander to what could be.

Using techniques to become more mindful may help you reduce stress and anxiety and make you feel happier. Some ways to become more mindful throughout your day include:

Paying attention to your breathing

Taking walks

Being creative

Focusing on only one task

Being aware of what you are doing and feeling

Taking the time to meditate

Another thing mindful people do to increase their happiness is knowing when to use technology and when to let it go. To be mindful and use technology, it’s important to set limits and go online with a purpose.

How Can Mindfulness Help Writers?

As a writer, you know that it doesn’t take much to distract you from getting your work done. It’s much more enjoyable to look at Facebook and Twitter than to stare at a white page with a blinking cursor. It’s easy to convince yourself that you need to read all 700 articles on Google about whatever before you can start writing.

The truth of the matter is: you’re just finding ways to procrastinate. Writing is hard. There’s no denying that. It takes a lot of concentration and creativity. There are days when ideas flow freely, and others when looking for them is like trying to find the Holy Grail.

During the summer, it’s even easier to get distracted and put off writing what you need to write. The weather is nicer, so it’s the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors. If you have kids, they’re out of school and you would much rather do something fun with them instead of sitting in your office. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to do these things, but you have to balance fun and writing.

There’s no end to the amount of distractions that can occur for a writer. By being mindful of what is going on within and without you, you can fight the urge to procrastinate and get your work done. If being mindful is living in the moment, then it’s important to recognize how you are procrastinating and fix it.

By being mindful of what is going on, you can fight the urge to procrastinate...Click To Tweet

Three Ways to Use Mindfulness to Eliminate Distraction

1. Let Go of Overanalyzing

One of the issues that some writers have with getting their writing done is overanalyzing every aspect of what they put on the paper. They wonder if the fact they looked up was correct or if there are others out there that are more pertinent. They fret that they didn’t phrase a sentence correctly or that there is a better way to state a fact. They are worried about “what ifs” instead of getting their words on the page.

If the goal of mindfulness is to be in the moment, then it’s important that your mind is focused. If you find your thoughts drifting as you write and the desire to do another Google search overcomes you, take some deep breaths. Stop your mind from critiquing what you’re doing and figure out if your writing feels right. Refocus your thoughts on what you want to accomplish, then figure out if you’re accomplishing it. If not, figure out how to fix it.

2. Let Go of Perfectionism

Like overanalyzing, needing your work to be perfect can lead to distraction and writer’s block. If you find yourself going over and over your work and feeling like it’s never good enough or that it has to be a certain way for you to be taken seriously or considered an expert, take a step back.

While editing is an important part of writing, it shouldn’t make writing debilitating. No writer ever thinks highly of their work, we are always our own worse critics, but you have to get to a point where it is good enough.

While editing is an important part of writing, it shouldn’t make writing debilitating. Click To Tweet

Being mindful of knowing when you are striving for perfectionism can help you let it go. Telling yourself that you did your best can help put you and your work in perspective. No writer will ever be perfect, and you shouldn’t set standards for yourself that are too high that you can’t reach them. That will only lead to dissatisfaction and depression.

3. Block Out Distractions

As a mindful writer, you need to be aware of the things that distract you from writing. Is it checking your email? Or Facebook? Or doing unending research on your topic? Do you find your kids distracting? Do you want to be outside enjoying the weather?

While none of these are terrible things to be distracted by, they are still distractions. If you are mindful of what you want to accomplish in your writing, then you need to find a way to accomplish your tasks. If that means creating a schedule, create a schedule and stick to it. It’s fine to want time for fun and distractions, but when it’s time to write, write.

Becoming a mindful writer will help you get your work done and lessen the amount of time you spend procrastinating. It will help you become aware of distractions and find ways to overcome them so you can be more productive.

It's fine to want time for fun and distractions, but when it's time to write, write.Click To Tweet

About Jennifer Landis

Jennifer Landis is a mom, wife, and healthy living blogger at Mindfulness Mama. She loves yoga, distance running, peanut butter, and spending the small amount of free time she has watching Netflix with her husband.

]]>https://blog.tglong.com/2017/06/mindfulness-eliminate-distraction-summer-jennifer-landis/feed/024247https://blog.tglong.com/2017/06/mindfulness-eliminate-distraction-summer-jennifer-landis/24 Tips to Help You Rock the Writing Processhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/terriglong/aHBE/~3/L2UEBK--QUk/
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As experienced authors know, writing is a process, consisting of brainstorming, drafting, writing, and editing. Breaking a big project—a novel or full-length memoir—into chunks makes the work more manageable and the writing process less overwhelming.

Here are twenty-four tips, six for each aspect of the writing process.

24 Tips to Help You Rock the Writing Process

Brainstorming

1. Type—or, if you prefer, handwrite—for 15 or 20 minutes.

Write as quickly as you can, jotting down anything that comes to mind, without stopping. Don’t think about what you’re writing; don’t edit; don’t worry about where the writing is headed. Just write. The goal is to tap into the subconscious, accessing ideas that might otherwise be inaccessible.

2. Think about your favorite story or fairytale…

…imagine the unique problems faced by a minor character, then free write or jot down ideas related to their story. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire, to cite one example, tells the untold story of the Witches of Oz.

3. Reread your favorite classic tale, then reimagine the story in a different time period.

A Thousand Acres, by Jane Smiley, is based on King Lear, and is one of many contemporary novels that’s drawn inspiration from the classics.

Reread your favorite classic tale, then reimagine the story in a different time period.Click To Tweet

4. Choose three words: one noun, one verb, one adjective.

Free write or create a map, associating the three words you chose with new words, until larger connections begin to take shape and an idea for a story emerges.

5. Think of a situation—one you’ve experienced, read about or heard—and ask yourself, what if?

For instance, you recently moved to a new house. What if the house were haunted? A young woman you knew gave up her infant daughter for adoption. Years later, her grown son falls in love. What if his love were actually his biological sister?

6.Think about the things that frighten you, go bump in the night—or a bad experience you’re trying to work out in your head—and record your thoughts and feelings in a journal.

The journal is for your eyes only, so try to write as honestly as possible. Writing will provide a welcome catharsis—and might later become the basis for a memoir or novel.

Drafting

Because it’s likely foreign to you, this exercise may feel awkward and uncomfortable. It may also change the way you think about and approach your work.

2. As you draft, jot down information…

…such as place details, relationship notes, or the meaning of your characters’ names, anything you may wish to use later to round your characters and provide richness and texture to your story.

3. Save any deleted scenes or paragraphs that strike you as important in a file marked deletions or edits.

As your story evolves you might realize you absolutely need a scene you hated or thought you couldn’t use. Rather than start over, and risk losing or forgetting compelling details, simply open the file and insert or rework the section you cut.

As your story evolves you might realize you absolutely need a scene you hated...Click To Tweet

4. Flick those pesky internal editors off your shoulders.

A great deal of the time, writers block is born of anxiety. If you’re afraid people you know will judge you or your work, try the technique Anne Lammot suggests in her wonderful book, Bird by Bird: Picture your critics as mice, pick them up by the tail, and drop them in a jar. Watch them claw at the glass; listen to them scream; hear them shout their terrible accusations. Turn up the volume, listen to the angry voices, then turn the volume to mute, and watch the frantic mice lunge at you, then put the jar away, and write.

5. As a corollary or alternative to tip 4, imagine your friendliest reader, someone who adores you and loves your work.

Picture your reader listening to your story with anticipation, eager to hear more, and imagine writing for him or her.

6. When you’re drafting, don’t agonize over details or worry about fleshing out characters or scenes.

All of this can be done in a second or subsequent draft. As your story evolves, you may discover that details you spent hours or days or weeks developing no longer fit. Instead, finish your first draft as quickly as possible, evaluate, and fill in from there.

Writing

1. If you’re stuck, try changing the point of view.

If you’ve been working with a single pov character, try two or more. Change protagonists: give a different character the lead role. Or change from third person pov to first or second.

2. Print out an important scene, chapter, or your entire book.

With a scissors, cut the scenes into sections—any change in action, shift in time, or movement from action to narrative begins a new section. Rearrange the sections, randomly or with a plan in mind. Note the way/s that changing structure alters your story.

3. Structure is the frame for your story; change the frame and your story naturally changes.

Experiment. Start at the end of your story and work back to the beginning. Move forward and backward in time. Break the story into sections or chapters that reinforce your theme. For example, if you’re writing a novel about a chef, use a recipe as the name and focal point of each chapter. Rewrite, using a character who’s not involved in the action to narrate the story.

Experiment. Start at the end of your story and work back to the beginning.Click To Tweet

4. Change tense: if your story is told in present tense, change to past, or change past tense to present.

Each tense has advantages and disadvantages. Stories told in present tense feel immediate, as readers experience the action along with the protagonist. Being so close to the action, however, the protagonist typically lacks perspective. Stories told in past tense, on the other hand, assume the narrator is looking backward, from the vantage point of distance. Stories told in past tense can be more leisurely and include details a protagonist focused on action might miss.

5. Write first, research later.

Research, especially if it yields fascinating information, can easily become a distraction, or a means of procrastination, preventing us from writing. Eager to share all the wonderful nuggets we’ve gleaned, it’s tempting to put everything in, which is why heavily researched fiction sometimes feels overwritten or dry. Finish your draft first, then do any mandatory research—looking up only those facts necessary to tell your story convincingly.

6. If possible, try to write every day, or every weekday, even if it’s only for 20 or 30 minutes.

Writing consistently keeps the story at the forefront of your mind, inviting ideas to pop up unexpectedly. And regular practice, which we all need—even the best, most experienced writers—helps us to continue honing our craft and keeps our writing fluid.

Editing

1. Proofreading is not editing.

Editing considers plot, structure, character development. Copy editing checks logistics, and looks for breaches in accuracy and continuity. Line editing focuses on craft—paragraph and sentence structure, and the use of language. Proofreading, which should be tackled only once the story is perfect, or as perfect as it can be, focuses on mechanics—i.e., grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

2. Edit from universal to the particular or big picture to small.

Consider the story as a whole, asking yourself questions about structure, checking for plot holes, missing info or poor sequencing, strengthening and rounding out characters. Once big-picture elements are in place, check for consistency and logistics. Did your character move, physically, from point A to point B in a way that makes logistical sense? Have you presented information in a timely, yet intriguing fashion? Are your characters aware of things that, based on their experience. they shouldn’t know? Next, sharpen metaphors, revamp paragraphs; listen to the music in your language; check your word choices. Finally, the last step before publishing or sending your book to your agent or publisher, check grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Consider the story as a whole, asking yourself questions about structure, checking for plot holes...Click To Tweet

2. Kill your babies.

Except, possibly, for the most extraordinarily disciplined writers (and then I’m not even sure), we all want to save our babies, those sentences, paragraphs, or chapters we sweated over, cried over, dug deeply to produce. The words that bring us to our knees, and we’re sure, certain will move our readers—because, really, how could they not?—even though, honestly, in our heart of hearts, we know don’t belong in the story. Kill your babies.

3. Find trusted beta readers.

Your mom loves you unconditionally, and wants desperately for you to be happy—automatically disqualifying her, or anyone like her, as a reader you can trust to tell you the truth. Beta readers should give you gentle but honest feedback. Ask beta readers—or your writer’s group—for thoughts on structure, characters, the emotional punch of important scenes—anything that will bring your work to the next level and make it sparkle.

4. Hire a professional editor.

Beta readers rarely have the expertise or experience to figure out why a well-written story isn’t working. They can tell you how it affects them, provide excellent observations, pick up mistakes, offer suggestions—all of which is wonderfully helpful—but it’s rare for anyone without editing experience to have the technical know-how to restructure a novel or tighten flaccid dialogue or the words to articulate problems with craft.

5. To catch mechanical errors, read backward, without the distraction of content.

When we’re reading, our mind fills in details and we tend to skim, skip over words we’ve written and rewritten, and it’s easy to miss even glaring mistakes.

To catch mechanical errors, read backward, without the distraction of content.Click To Tweet

6. In one sentence, describe your book.

Pretend you’re pitching a script; you have only a minute with the director or producer, so your pitch has to be brief, precise, and enticing. If you can’t describe your book in a sentence, chances are, you need to sharpen the focus. Do the same for scenes: list scenes in order, jotting a sentence or phrase next to each scene; this exercise will provide a visual map of your book and help you to find holes and discover connections.

Bonus Tip: Carry a notebook at all times—and be mindful.

Look, listen, observe. Jot down random thoughts, or ideas related to a current or future project; note compelling character details; describe people or places that intrigue you; transcribe conversations you overhear or record the scenes taking place around you—note anything that strikes you as interesting, putting a wealth of fascinating information at your fingertips, ready to serve you whenever you need it.

And last, but definitely not least: Dream. Be fierce. Reach for the stars!

I’m delighted to welcome Jennifer Landis back to the blog today. Jennifer first joined me during the Week of Well-being and Inspiration with a wonderful post about mindfulness and writing. Jennifer will be visiting the blog with a monthly column going forward. I can’t wait to read her posts and hope you feel the same!

7 Ways Mindfulness Helps With Focus

The scratch of the pen indents the page with heavy marks, striking through your carefully crafted phrases. Not the right words.

The cursor blinks: Fingers move over the keyboard, only to backspace, to delete what was written. Not the right words.

No matter your writing preference or how diligently you stick to your routine, focus eludes the most dedicated of writers. It’s like your muse decided to hover over your shoulder, laugh and say: “Hah! Nope, not today. No words for you. Bye!” Then, your elusive muse who provided your inspiration and focus skipped off for an impromptu vacation with no notice of return.

Reclaim your muse and focus with mindfulness, which encourages you to be aware of all of your sensory details in the moment, providing you with an influx of inspiration and mental relief from stress and worry.

1. Focus on Your Breathing

The easiest way to practice mindfulness is to tune into your breathing. Let yourself follow your natural breathing pattern, flowing in and out. For increased calm and control, it may be helpful to slow your breathing, inward at a count of three and outward at a count of three.

Focus on how breath fills your lungs. As breathing comes naturally, so will the words. Speech and thought are as natural as breathing, even when you’re stuck telling yourself that this piece is going nowhere. That’s writing, and the process.

Part of focus isn’t pushing through, but working through the places where you feel stuck, and mindfulness is the observation of it without judgment.

2. Immerse Yourself in Nature

Breathe in the smells of lavender, freshly cut grass and the wet air after a rainstorm. Fill your eyes with an expansive blue sky, streaks of a rainbow and fluttering leaves in the wind. Look more closely. Watch the ants return home with tasty, sugary meals. Listen to the intangible air made tangible as it rustles the leaves and the birds chirp in anticipation of … what?

Use your words to describe what your senses take in. Be mindful of your environment as you immerse yourself in details. Though you may not usually consider it, there is much life and many happenings around you. Talk a walk in nature and use at least three senses to describe the details you experience.

3. Be Present in Your Body

Breathe, and let your senses envelop you in the present moment. Be still within your body and witness what it feels. How is it doing today?

As you move or sit, you may notice aches or tension in certain parts of your body. Many people are familiar with the tight tension across the shoulders from sitting in a hunched-over position most of the day. However, be mindful that the body also literally wears its stresses. Listen to its needs for food and sleep, which will also improve your focus.

Your body has so many things to do every single day. In fact, the to-do list of your liver is extensive and involves more than 300 functions, from secreting bile to producing proteins that are essential for blood to clot. Be easy on yourself.

4. Let the Pen Lead

Have you ever tried free writing, with or without a timer? Free writing places no restrictions on you, unless you set them. The idea is to place words on the page, whatever comes out, without judgment. This is also a mindful act, as you are doing it without judgment, being aware of the pen in action in the moment.

For some, writing with a timer loosens the words from the mind and lets the pen do its thing on the page with freedom from anxiety. The rush to get the words on paper before the timer goes off helps get you unstuck. For others, simply giving yourself permission to write anything, no matter how crappy, is the key to finally releasing the words. Let the pen lead.

5. The Muse’s Name May Be Mary Jane

When you think of Mary Jane, you think of cannabis, which is a natural association, and some do use cannabis products to be more mindful. While some people may require a medical prescription for marijuana products to help with an anxiety condition, for example, there are other cannabis products that can help with relieving stress. The Mary Jane has many helpful plant parts.

Hemp also comes from this same plant, and it is in many of the products you use every day, such as cosmetics, oil paint, plastic and even paper. A small field of hemp is more sustainable than trees used to produce paper, since hemp produces more fiber than any other kind of plant. In fact, hemp fibers have been used for centuries to make paper.

Why not use Mary Jane in a new way and buy hemp paper? Incorporate these hemp pages into a writing ritual where you sketch out your ideas first on paper before transferring them to the computer for editing. Handwriting gives you the opportunity to mindfully experience your ideas in a very physical way.

6. Find a Mindful Inspiration Trigger

Think of when you wake up in the morning. What is your cue that the day is getting started? Do the kids wake you up? Do you need a cup of coffee?

Similarly, a mindful inspiration trigger can get you into the writing groove. Brew a pot of coffee and let the smell of the grind be your cue to start writing. Light incense. Practice mindful breathing, or organize your work area. Find your trigger, and let mindfulness lead the way back to focus.

7. Go Somewhere Unknown to You

Sometimes the world becomes too routine, as does your process. So go somewhere completely unknown to you, and let the environment stimulate your senses. Find a detail to focus on. Imagine a character in this setting and how they would react.

The details that appear first to you may not be observed right away by your character. Imagine you are in the shoes of your character. What do you notice as them? Write it down.

When the muse eludes you, mindfulness becomes a powerful tool to reclaim your focus in writing and other areas of life. It’s as simple as breathing. Sometimes, you just need to change up the routine by changing the environment or noticing a new detail.

It’s difficult to sit within your body without judgment of its thoughts, feelings and functions, but you are your own worst critic. Mindfulness is a helpful tool for getting past your inner editor to get words down on the page. Now, go write!

About Jennifer Landis

Jennifer Landis is a mom, wife, and healthy living blogger at Mindfulness Mama. She loves yoga, distance running, peanut butter, and spending the small amount of free time she has watching Netflix with her husband.

As writers, we know how important it is not only to know and understand our characters, but to know their deepest secrets. Secrets yield invaluable insight into motivations, reasoning, and hidden agendas, as well as the way characters think and rationalize their actions. Though they can surprise us at times, discovering our characters’ secrets—the things they don’t share with the world—will tell us what they’ll do, how they’ll react to setbacks and challenges, and how they’ll treat other people—allowing us to shape a believable story.

Many of us learn about our characters in drafts. Writing freely, without a plan—pantsing, as some writers call it—tapping into our subconscious, we discover interesting insights, gleaned from the details in the draft. But drafting can be time-consuming, and—when the draft doesn’t go anywhere or, conversely, runs in too many directions—churning out drafts can be frustrating, sometimes to the point that we, or I anyway, lose faith in the work.

Though it may not yield plot details, a popular workshop strategy for learning about a character is to dig through his or her trash. What we throw away, the condition items are in when we toss them (past their useful life? Partially used? Brand new?), the emotions driving us to throw something away (pacifiers after a miscarriage? a t-shirt belonging to a former lover?)—as well what we hoard, or keep for sentimental reasons—tells volumes about who we are. Sometimes, in the trash, we hide things we don’t want others to see. Or we toss things impulsively, only to later discover we need them. Often, we toss things in without thinking, making a character’s trash bin a rich entry into his or her subconscious mind.

Here are 7 places to find powerful hints about the habits and nuances of your characters.

7 Places that Will Divulge Your Characters’ Secrets

The fridge

Is the fridge empty or full? Organized or a mess? What does it smell like? Contents: Fruit juices and milk? Or loaded with beer and/or wine? Healthy foods or mostly junk? Do the condiments overwhelm all the other items? Is the food fresh or has it gone bad? Can your character afford the items in her fridge? Are the foods whole, requiring preparation, or takeout? Were the foods purchased for personal consumption or to impress someone? Does she store medicine in her fridge? Or odd items, like nail polish?

A Wallet

How much money is in the wallet? Bills or random change? Quarters for a parking meter? A metro or subway pass? Receipts? Where are receipts from? Stores? Neiman Marcus or Walmart? Four-star restaurants? Or diners? Why did your character keep the receipt/s? Are there any photos? If not, why not? If so, who is in the pictures? Are the subjects alive or dead? What do the images say about the person/people in the photo/s? Are the subjects close to your character—or people your character hasn’t seen in a while, perhaps because they’re estranged? Is there a driver’s license? Is it valid or expired? Issued by the state where your character currently lives? Are there other forms of ID? School ID, for example? Are ID cards real or fake? Does he or she carry other licenses—e.g. to carry a gun?

In Real or Virtual Files

What did your character find important enough to save? What is unexpectedly missing? Are the files organized? Or a hot mess, with random items filed incorrectly—e.g., a store credit in a file for utility bills? Is the file lean or stuffed? Was the file accessible or locked? Is there anything in the file that someone else might want, perhaps badly enough to break in? Is the name on the paperwork in the file the name your character uses? If not, why not? Does everything in the file belong to your character? Was it legitimately obtained?

A Purse or Messenger Bag

As with the trash, the items we find important enough to carry say a lot about us. Does he or she carry a wallet? Or are cash or bills stuffed in a pocket or lying at the bottom of the bag? A cell phone? What model? Does it belong to your character? If not, where did it come from? A comb or brush? Other items for grooming—e.g. a toothbrush? Gum or breath mints? Paperwork? Bills? Prescription meds? If so, what types of medication? Does he or she use the medication for its intended purposes or for recreation? Is there a prescription for medication? Does the prescription belong to your character? If not, to whom does it belong? Are there any illegal drugs in the bag? A gun? If so, for what purpose? Make and model?

As with trash, the items we find important enough to carry say a lot about us.Click To Tweet

The Glove Compartment and/or Trunk of a Car

If you’re anything like me, the glove compartment and trunk of your car contain a mishmash of items stored for convenience—in my glove compartment, I keep a bag of jelly beans or Swedish fish; in the trunk, a yoga mat and recyclable grocery bags, for example. Or emergencies, as with car jacks and spare tires, auto manuals and proof of insurance and registration. My glove compartment is stuffed with receipts, pens, pencils, notebooks, maps we no longer use, my trunk a makeshift home for laundry awaiting the dry cleaner, and random items—a hat, a mitten, a sock that fell from an overnight bag. On any given day, there might be an umbrella, spare shoes or boots, a crowbar, a tarp, a bat, a ball, a net.
For your characters, what do such items mean? And why are they there? Say, these spaces are empty—is your character a neat freak? Or hiding from someone or something?

A safety deposit box

As safety deposit boxes are locked, in general accessible by only the owner and his or her designees, almost anything could be lurking inside—from banking and financial documents to personal items, such as a marriage license or passport or jewelry. Some items stored in a safety deposit box might have sentimental value—photographs, love letters, an award, a bronzed baby shoe, a lock of baby hair, a lost tooth. A character with a flair for the macabre might store a loved one’s ashes in his or her box. Maybe your character stores a gun in his box, or poison, photos for a blackmailing scheme, a victim’s ear, or other tools for a crime.

In the browser history on a computer

Considering that we Google pretty much any and everything on our mind, what’s in your characters’ browser history—as well as what’s not there (perhaps because she erased her history so no one could track it?)—can provide a wealth of info and insight. What is he or she interested in? What are his or her hobbies? Is he/she a Google stalker? If so, who does he or she stalk? Did she research diseases? A particular disease – or is he/she a hypochondriac? How many times does a particular search appear? Once? Occasionally? Every day? Several times a day? Does he/she visit porno or other types of “forbidden” sites?

What’s in your characters’ browser history—as well as what’s not there—can provide a wealth of insight.Click To Tweet

Other places to look for clues about your characters’ personality and inner life:
The attic or the back of a shelf; a shoe box or junk drawer; in the drawers in a desk; under the mattress; on a DVR; on a thumb drive; in the medicine cabinet; under clothes or underwear in a bureau.

How do you discover your characters’ secrets?

Downloadable Workbook: Characters’ Secrets Question Prompts

Please enjoy this workbook to help you make some notes about your own characters’ secrets. I hope you find it useful!

We all have excuses for not writing. For some of us, excuses cause a lapse of a day or two, a week or three, but serious writers find a way through. We have to or we’d never set words to paper. Making excuses doesn’t make us bad people. It makes us human. Still, procrastinating can keep us from accomplishing our goals, so it’s worth examining our reasons for not writing. Are they really excuses? If so, why are we letting them stand in our way?

Here are ten of my favorites.

Top 10 Excuses for Not Writing

1) I’m too tired to write.

Let’s face it, in today’s crazy-busy world, we’re all exhausted most of the time. Being tired is an excuse. And that’s really all it is: an excuse. Next time you feel too tired to write, sit at your desk, log onto your computer, and wait. Set a timer for, maybe, 30 minutes, doable enough that you don’t feel pressured, yet enough time to give your brain a chance to gear up.

2) I don’t have time. Or – I’m too busy.

See “I’m too tired to write.” We’re all busy. It’s not that successful people have more time than others; it’s that they make time to do the things they consider important. Do you commute to work by bus or train? There’s your perfect opportunity to write. Some moms write during their kids’ naptimes; other authors wake early or stay up late to write. If you want to fit it in, you can.

3) I have no training or experience.

While training and experience are by no means a guarantee of success, this is actually a decent reason to put off publishing for a while. Notice I didn’t say put off writing. Writers learn to write by reading and writing. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Assuming you read your work critically, or work with a writing group or editor who does it for you, the more you write the better a writer you’ll become. If that’s not enough to bolster your confidence, consider taking a class at a local adult center or university. Or pick up one of the many wonderful how-to books on writing. My favorite is Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft, by Janet Burroway.

4) I don’t know what to write about.

If only I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard this excuse. Writing is easy; staring at a blank page is hard. Slow down, and look around. Listen and observe. Mine your life story for interesting ideas you might turn into fiction. Reread the classics and consider possible twists. Read or listen to the news. Jodi Picoult routinely rips plots from the headlines, while nonfiction author Susan Orlean bases her books on stories she read in the news. Here are some great tips from the inimitable writer and instructor, Joanna Penn.

5) I don’t know enough about the subject; I haven’t done the research.

Then do the research already! Or dive right in and imagine the details. In fiction, the details must be believable, but not necessarily precise. As Darin Strauss, a wonderful writer, author of one of my favorite books, Chang and Eng, puts it: “Your requirement is not to be history-book-grade accurate. It’s for the reader to buy it enough to follow the magic trick of fiction. As long as the reader doesn’t say, “This smells like fakery,” who cares?” Of course, if you’re writing nonfiction, return to sentence one and start learning the facts.

Putting off writing? 10 common excuses for not writing - and 10 ways to tackle them!Click To Tweet

6) I’ll start my book next week, next month, next year, or when I retire.

Ah, the infamous someday. Translation: the same day you’ll start eating healthier, exercising, quit smoking, read more, smell the roses… Procrastinating an overwhelming task is not a character flaw. We all resolve to do any number of things we never get around to actually starting. Mostly because we’re intimidated or scared. Writing, particularly for an audience, is terrifying. To write honestly, you have to bare your soul, then be prepared for readers to hate your work and sling mud. Hardly a motivating scenario. The truth is, we’re all scared. If penning that book is important enough to us, we bare through. Here Writer’s Digest offers some great tips for how to do it. Here are more tips from Lifehack.

You know yourself better than anyone else knows you, so maybe one—or possibly two—of these excuses are true, and really do hold you back. More likely, they’re the go-to excuses (read: rationalizations) you use to cover your real reason for not writing: you’re scared. You don’t know if the work will turn out well, if people will love you or hate you, if you’ll be able to accomplish what you set out to do. We all—repeat: all—have these fears. The first step in conquering any fear is to name it, and face it head on.

8) I’m waiting for the Muse.

In case no one has let you in on the secret, “the muse” is a big, fat, mean old phony—at least as perceived by novice writers or excuse-making pros. The muse, if you will, refers to your inner creativity. If you’re lucky, very, very, VERY lucky, maybe she’ll show up once or twice in your lifetime with a fully or nearly fully-formed story you have only to record. More likely, if you treat her well, she’ll hint at an idea you have to work with and shape, or perhaps provide hints along the way. When people say or feel that they’re waiting for the muse, what they actually mean is they’re feeling blocked. Writer’s block is usually caused by stress and anxiety, or an overly critical internal editor, who bashes every idea you come up with. Here is a great post from Joe Bunting on how to get your muse talking—or (more accurately) how to unblock.

9) No one will care what I have to say.

Maybe you’re right. Maybe they won’t. It isn’t the world’s job—or any reader’s job—to care about what we have to say. It’s our job to make readers care. The best way to write a story, or a book, readers will care about is to write a story you care about. That’s not to say self-indulgence is the new orange. Enthusiasm is catching. When we’re passionate about our work, our excitement can’t be contained. When a story moves us, we’re more willing to go the extra mile, to push ourselves harder, to take chances. This, more than any other piece of advice, will help you to beat any excuses.

10) I’m embarrassed OR I don’t want to embarrass anyone.

As with many other excuses, there’s a grain of truth here. Writing honestly, whether fiction or nonfiction, requires us to give ourselves over to the work. When we do so, even if not a single plot detail in the story is true to our life, we inadvertently tell readers a lot about ourselves, in what we choose to include and what we leave out, where we focus, how we make sense of details or events. Again, even if nothing in the story happened to us, those readers who can’t imagine making up a story out of whole cloth will assume your story is autobiographical. That can be embarrassing and protesting only serves as confirmation. Other than taking the high road, reminding yourself that the story isn’t you and you’re not the story, there’s not a lot you can do.

Sometimes the story you want to tell is true to your life. In that case, if you’re worried about embarrassing or offending people, you can either wait until anyone likely to be offended is deceased, or you can change the details enough so that characters and events are not recognizable. This is easier than it sounds. Many writers use a real person as inspiration for a character, changing gender, race, nationality, gestures, speech patterns—all the essential details that make that person identifiable. But take precautions: while liable cases are rare and must involve defamation of character, angry subjects do occasionally file suit, and even if you win, lawsuits are painful. Here’s an excellent post from Rights of Writers on libel in fiction and how to avoid defamation.

What excuses for not writing would you add to this list?

Worksheet: Overcoming excuses for not writing

Here are ten common excuses writers use to avoid the pain, or terror, of putting words on paper. For each one that’s held you back, jot down at least three strategies (the more the better) you can use to overcome your fear and accomplish your goals. Or make your own list of excuses and strategies.

Welcome Giacomo Giammatteo!

I am thrilled to have had Giacomo Giammatteo, author of Whiskers and Bear, as my special guest on the blog all this week. On Monday, I shared his very open and touching interview. On Wednesday, Giacomo shared a heartwarming guest post about the best ‘investment’ he ever made. Today – last but not least – we can enjoy a beautiful excerpt from Whiskers and Bear!

As well as these feature posts, there is also a $25 Amazon gift card giveaway. You can enter this below and share the feature daily for extra entries.

Whiskers & Bear: Another Grave

I climbed up onto the tractor, a Kubota 4630, with a six-foot bucket on the front. It was a powerful machine, and we’d put it through the hoops more than a few times. What I mean is that my wife Mikki and I had dug a lot of graves.

I tied an old cloth diaper around my forehead and draped the end of it over the top of my bald head. There wasn’t much better than a cotton cloth for keeping sweat out of your eyes, or the sun from burning your head. I turned the key and revved the engine. After letting it idle a moment, I lifted the bucket and drove toward the south side of the property where Mikki was waiting for me. She’d already gotten a few blankets and a clean sheet. For this one, she’d brought a pillow, too.

I reached up and wiped my eyes. I was getting damn tired of burying things.

An old white pickup crept down the gravel driveway, coming to a stop near the fence.

A neighbor leaned out and hollered. “What’s goin’ on?”

I wished he’d have kept going.

“Nothin’,” I said, but not loud enough for him to hear.

The door opened, and he stepped out and walked over to the fence, using his right hand to shield his eyes from the sun as he peered over the top rail.

“What are you doin’?”

I could see there was no getting away from it. I muttered my answer a few times so my voice wouldn’t crack when I yelled.

“Diggin’ a grave,” I hollered back.

“A grave? Which one died?”

Which one? That’s what it had come to for most of the neighbors and relatives and friends. Which one died. As if it didn’t matter. As if having forty-five animals made it easier to deal with when one of them died.

He came in through the side gate and headed in my direction. He walked slowly, which gave me time to compose myself. It’s never easy to bury a friend, but this one…this one was special.

Mikki walked over to me. “He’s just trying to help.”

I nodded.

I don’t need his help, I thought, but the fact of the matter was I could probably use it.

It hadn’t rained in weeks, and the damn Texas ground was as hard as concrete. Even if the tractor did cut through, it could only go so deep; we’d have hand work to do at the bottom.

Our neighbor was about twenty feet away. He took off his hat and swiped at his forehead. It was a scorcher today and had been for a month or so.

“Who was it?” he asked.

I couldn’t say, but I managed to gesture toward Mikki. She lifted the corner of the blanket so he could see.

“Oh shit!” he said. “I’m sorry.”

“Thanks,” I said.

He unbuttoned his shirt and grabbed a shovel I had leaning against a small oak tree. “Might as well get this done.”

I nodded again. He was right, of course, but I was in no hurry to put another friend in the ground. I cranked the engine up a little higher, shoved the tractor into low gear, and positioned the bucket for the first scoop of dirt. The bucket hit the ground with a metallic thud. It didn’t do much more than break the surface.

“Whew!” the neighbor said. “Going to be a long day.”

“That’s for sure.”

“How long have they been with you?” he asked.

They. I thought about what he said. I would have laughed if not for the circumstances. Everyone referred to the two of them as one. They or them. Bear and Whiskers. Whiskers and Bear. It was a cold day in July if anyone mentioned one without the other.

Whiskers and Bear were two of the best dogs in the world. They didn’t always listen or even try to listen, but they were loyal to a fault, and they were the best of friends. They hunted all of their food, and they protected our animal sanctuary with no regard for their own safety.

Welcome Giacomo Giammatteo!

I am thrilled to say that Giacomo Giammatteo, author of Whiskers and Bear, will be a special guest on the blog all this week. On Monday, I shared his very open and touching interview. Today, Giacomo has a heartwarming guest post, and – last but not least – on Friday we’ll be able to enjoy a beautiful excerpt from Whiskers and Bear!

As well as these feature posts, there is also a $25 Amazon gift card giveaway. You can enter this below and share the feature daily for extra entries! Please continue to stop by throughout the week to find out more about Whiskers and Bear and Giacomo Giammatteo!

Giacomo Giammatteo: Best Investment I Ever Made

I have not done very well with investments. I always seem to be late to the party, or leaving when I should stay. As an example, I sold my Apple stock back in 1994. I try to forget the per-share price, but my wife keeps reminding me. And every time I say, “Damn Apple, they should never have gotten rid of Jobs,” she says, “And you should never have gotten rid of the stock.”

After a few other less-than-satisfactory ventures, we agreed we would let other people do our investing. Then, about five years ago, while on my way to the bookstore, something happened that changed that. While driving down the street, I saw a neighbor’s dog lying on the side of the road, her guts literally oozing out of her. With help from another man, we got her in the van and took her to the animal hospital. The neighbors didn’t have the money to fix her, so my wife and I paid for the bill. It was about $1100.

I skipped the book store after that and went home. My wife took the van to go visit a friend but called me thirty minutes later. On the way to her friend’s house, she had found a cat on the side of the road, not four blocks from where the dog was. It had an arrow through it. Needless to say, we made another visit to the animal hospital.

The vet asked us what happened. We told her the cat was not ours and that we found it like that. “Put it down,” she said. My wife looked at me, and we both agreed. “We can’t do that.”

Hotshot, moments after Mikki found him

“It is going to be expensive,” the vet said.” And even then we don’t know if it will live.”

I looked at my wife, her shirt covered in blood, and the cat feeling safe in her arms. She nodded, and then I told the vet to proceed.

About half an hour later, the vet came out and told us the arrow had hit bone. Infection had set in. “The leg has to come off,” she said.

I knew what that meant, the cost of that cat just went from “expensive” to “ridiculous.”

A lot of selfish thoughts went through my head: The van needed work, we needed a new TV to replace the old 27″ behemoth, and it wouldn’t hurt to get a comfortable sofa to relax on while watching that new TV.

Then I thought about that little cat, lying on the table, his green eyes dull, breath coming in short gasps. And he was counting on us. I thought about the van, and the TV, and the sofa. Then I thought about what the vet said—that the cat might not even make it. Money be damned. Let’s go for it.

Everything Has a Price

Four days later we took home a three-legged cat. At that time, our sanctuary had fourteen dogs, so we gave the cat to our grandkids. They were eager to have him. They named him “Hotshot.”

It’s been five years since we fixed up Hotshot, and I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a happier cat. He enjoys every day—every minute—of his life, and I swear he’s a grateful cat. When he looks at me, it’s like he’s saying “thank you.”

We’re still running that same old van, and it still needs some work. I did finally get a new TV, but the dogs took over the sofa, so there was no sense in getting a new one.

Hotshot ended up costing us $4200, but that investment was the best one I ever made. Better than putting it in Apple. For the past five years, that cat has provided endless joy and love for our grandkids and for all of us. When my grandson calls him, the cat jumps into his arms and wraps his one leg around his neck and nibbles his ears. The look in both their eyes…is truly priceless.

So what does my investment portfolio look like?

Twelve dogs, one horse, twenty-six pigs, a wild boar, and a three-legged cat. I’m a very rich man.

Giacomo

PS. If you know any animal lovers, share this post. And leave a comment if you have time.

Whiskers and Bear were two of the best dogs in the world. They didn’t always listen or even try to listen, but they were loyal to a fault, and they were the best of friends. They hunted all of their food, and they protected our animal sanctuary with no regard for their own safety.